The Meng-Han Tsai Lab
Meng-Han Tsai, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Cancer Prevention, Control, & Population Health Program
Research Summary Research Interests Publications Research Team
Contact Us
The Tsai Lab
Health Sciences Campus
GCC - M. Bert Storey Research Building
1410 Laney Walker Blvd., HS-1705
(706) 721-7706
Research Summary
Dr. Tsai is an Assistant Professor of Cancer Epidemiology with a strong record of scholarship in cancer disparities, particularly in colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention and outcomes.
Her research focuses on trends in CRC incidence and mortality, predictors of CRC survival, and the influence of social determinants of health on prevention, treatment outcomes, and survival rates. She has extensive experience in multilevel data analysis using large-scale datasets, including cancer registries, national surveys, and Medicare claims as well as medical records. Dr. Tsai’s long-term research goal is to increase awareness of cancer risk and improve access to care—especially for populations disproportionately affected by CRC.
Research Interests
Primary Areas of Interest:
Cancer epidemiology, social determinants of health, health disparities
Cancer Diseases of Interest:
Colorectal cancer
Other Diseases of Interest:
Women cancers (e.g., Breast and Cervical cancers)
Research Methodologies:
Secondary data analysis, including multilevel modeling and population-based datasets
Research Methodologies:
Funded projects as PI:
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- Cancer at the Crossroads: Translating Social Contexts into Actionable Insights for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Care (CROSS) (R21), Aug 26-Jul 28.
- Pathways to Prevention: Exploring Social Determinants of Health in Early Onset Colorectal Cancer, National Cancer Institute (R21), Apr 25-Mar 27.
- Pathways to Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis at an Underserved Community in Georgia, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Jul 25-Jun 27.
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Funded projects as Co-I:
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- Impacting Cancer Health Disparities and Facilitating Cancer Health Equity in Breast, Multiple Myeloma, and Prostate Cancers in Underserved and Minority Population (The cancer- Community Awareness Access Research & Education (c-CARE II), Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Aug 23-Feb 27
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Program (ASAPP); named changed to Partners in Prevention in 2021 (Burke, Jones, and Richmond County), State of Georgia, Oct 23-Sep 27
Other projects:
- The use and discussion of genetic testing in the context of cancer prevention
- The impact of social determinants of health on cancer screening utilization and cancer outcomes
Selected Publications
- Tsai, M.H. *, Vernon, M., Bevel, M., Jamshidi, P. ^, Cortes, J., Kruse-Dieh, A. Multilevel Insights into Obesity, Race/Ethnicity, and Survival in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in Georgia. Cancer Causes Control 37, 94 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-026-02178-5
- Tsai, M.H.* Coughlin, S.S., Gishe, J, Islam, KM, Eberth, J.M. Exploring the role of marital status on survival and stage at diagnosis in early-onset colorectal cancer by race/ethnicity, Scientific Reports, 2026 Apr 29. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-51116-7. Epub ahead of print.
- Tsai, M.H. *, Vo, J.B., Harris, R.A., Wang, X., Zhu, H., Dong, Y., Guha, A. Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Rurality Disparities in Cardiovascular Mortality Among Adults with Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis. Journal of American Heart Association, 2026; DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.126.049282
- Tsai, M.H. *, Coughlin, S., Cortes, J., Vega, K.J. Geographic, Racial, and Sex Disparities in Time to Treatment for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer, JAMA Network Open, 2026;9;(3):e261980. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.1980
- Grunert, C^, Tsai, M.H., Rogers, C.R., Howard, S., Hogg-Graham, R., Martin, C., Conwell, D., Toriola, A.T., Bhakta, A., & Moore, J.X*. Impact of age and rurality on colorectal cancer outcomes in the United States. Cancer Causes Control 37, 61 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-026-02150-3.
- Tsai, M.H. *, Coughlin, S., Cortes, J. Geographic and Demographic Disparities in Receipt of Treatment for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Control, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/10732748261433621
- Hsueh, L. *, Lu, L., Vu, M., Tsai, M.H. Associations of Race, Specific Asian Origin Grouping, and English Proficiency with Receiving a Diabetes Care Plan Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Data from the California Health Interview Survey. Published online February 25, 2026. DOI: 10.1007/s11606-026-10274-0
- Tsai, M.H., Vernon, M. (co-first author) *, Carrillo, A., Pollard, E. ^, Tingen, M. Evaluating the Impact of the CHANGE Initiative on Cancer Screening Referral and Uptake in Underserved Communities in Georgia, 2026; Preventive Medicine Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103403
- Tsai, M.H. *, Cortes, J., Lee, M., Sifuentes, H., Bae, S. Treatment Delays and Survival Divides: Race, Sex, and Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Disparities. Cancer Research Communications, 2026; https://doi.org/10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-25-0659.
- Tsai, M.H. *, Coughlin, S.S., Cortes, J. Thompson, C.A. Intersection of Poverty and Rurality for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Survival. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2430615. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.30615
Research Team
Dongyu Zhang
- Medical Student
- Class of 2028
Parmida Jamshidi
- Medical Student
- Class of 2028
Saarib Zafar
- Medical Student
- Class of 2029
Firas Osmani
- Medical Student
- Class of 2029
Tumi Adaramola
- Medical Student
- Moorehouse School of Medicine: Class of 2030